This is a place for members of Home of the Brave to post thoughts, insights, and opinions about events related to the investigation of non-combat deaths of US soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Blog for Members of HOTB

Hello, all.

This is the discussion page for members of Home of the Brave. We are family members of deceased service members who died as a result of non-combat situations. In all cases, the investigations or lack thereof, have left us with many unanswered questions. We have joined together for support. We often discuss related topics, and since we are all individuals with different points of view and political persuasions, the discussion can get pretty interesting. I’d like people to be able to write occasional opinion pieces and have them published here. We want to maintain respect for one another and our diversity, while emphasizing the things we have in common. Of course we should try to post comments in the most non-inflammatory way possible and we should also be reading here with an open mind. If there are disagreements, let’s attempt to voice the disagreement as logically and clearly as possible. This can also be a place to re-post information gleaned from other sources regarding non-combat deaths and related information. In short, this is meant to be a place for sharing. We’re still deciding whether or not to allow public comment. I’d really like to, but nasty spammers love to use places like this to post their garbage. First, I’ll test the spam protection on this service and then Patti and I will make a decision on this. We’re also deciding on whether or not to set up a registration requirement for posting. In the meantime, if you’d like to make some comments about non-combat deaths and their investigations, just click on one of the “contact us” buttons and send me your comments to post. Braveheart

Our Loved Ones

Families

"I told them, 'Hey, if you don't want to deal with mourning families, then recruit orphans."

Peggy Buryj

"After the truth of Pat's death was partially revealed, Pat was no longer of use as a sales asset, and became strictly the Army's problem. They were now left with the task of briefing our family and answering our questions. With any luck, our family would sink quietly into our grief, and the whole unsavory episode would be swept under the rug. However, they miscalculated our family's reaction."Kevin Tillman

"...our treatment by the country for which our loved ones gave their lives has added another dimension of grief and difficulty. Having one another gives us the encouragement to continue."

Joan L. Piper

"The greatest disappointment, is in our country whose leaders plainly have an agenda that values the establishment over the individual, form over fact, expedience over truth. All of us morn the loss of our loved ones, but we also morn the loss of respect that we all have had for our country."

Dr. John Sabow

"I will review these records to identify what led to [Phillip's] murder and the acquittal of his murderer," Esposito said Friday. "In fighting for justice for Phillip, my daughter and myself, I also fight for justice for all officers and servicemembers. No other family should have to suffer as we have." Siobhan Esposito

Historical Fact

"Of the more than 274,000 officers and men who served in the army during the Spanish-American War and the period of demobilization, 5,462 died in the various theaters of operation and in camps in the a U.S. Only 379 of the deaths were battle casualties, the remainder being attributed to disease and other causes."

Source: Encyclopedia of American History by Richard Morris

In 1898, thousands of soldiers got food poisoning from meat packed by Armour and Company and sold to the Army. There are no figures on how many of the five thousand noncombat deaths were caused by this.

The Oxford Companion to American Military History estimates that between 2 percent and 25 percent of the casualties in America's wars are attributable to friendly fire.